What Is The 'Slow Fashion Movement'?

Slow Fashion is the movement of designing, creating and buying garments for quality & longevity…and it’s a trend swiftly gaining momentum around the globe. In contrast to Fast Fashions’ ”Weekly Wardrobe updates”, ‘Slow Fashion’ encourages slower production schedules, fairer wages, lower carbon footprints and less waste. The movement is a unified representation of the likes of the ‘sustainable’, ‘eco’, ‘green’, and ‘ethical’ fashion movements. 

It’s a far cry from the mainstream fashion industry which primarily relies on globalised, mass production with high fashion spin offs going from the design stage to the shop floor in a matter of weeks. With most fast fashion retailers selling the latest fashion trends at very low prices, we’re easily lured into the gloss and ‘necessity’ of garments and ultimately purchase more than we need. However, this overconsumption comes with a hidden price tag on the environment. Very quickly, garments become garbage.

In contrast, slow fashion designers and buyers acknowledge that their decisions affect the environment and people, so they utilize local materials, suppliers and manufactures to create their garments. These practices help to lessen material waste, pollution, and carbon footprints. Designers of this movement ensure the longevity of their garments by purchasing higher quality fabrics, often handmade, and create custom pieces to be worn for many years. We’re talking quality over quantity here.

So, how can you contribute to the movement? You don’t have to change your ways at the drop of a (ahem, Topshop) hat, but I do have some tips;

• Choose local, artisan products to support smaller businesses
• Buy fair trade clothes when possible
• Buy secondhand or vintage clothing
• Donate or on-sell garments that you’re ”over”
• Choose clothing made with sustainable, organic, ethically-made or recycled fabrics*
• Choose quality fabrics and ‘classic’ styles that will last longer and transcend micro-trends
• Get crafty - make, mend, customize, alter, and up-cycle your current wardrobe

By learning more about where our clothing comes from, what it takes to make and how far it travels to market, we can see the larger picture of a garment’s journey to the store floor and how this affects our environment, in both a literal and social sense. When we take time to consciously seek out clothing that fits well, serves a purpose, flatters us and that truly reflects our unique style, we are connecting to what fashion should be... a creative and harmless expression of who we are, and what we value. 

Fashion should be fun and fabulous. But I do like the idea of slowing down and enjoying the process, being more mindful of how my occasional frivolity may be affecting others and not letting the shine of the industry let me lose sight of the bigger impact our disposal shopping habits have.

Live well, live long, live naturally

Renée x

*Where to buy eco/slow fashion online: http://www.reneenaturally.com/blog/where-find-purchase-eco-fashion-online